Study on Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Primary Glossodynia

—Using the Japanese Version of the MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey Version 2—

Abstract

Primary glossodynia is characterized by abnormal sensations such as tongue pain without pathological changes and is not fully understood. The Japanese version of the MOS 36-item short-form health survey version 2 (SF-36v2) is a questionnaire to measure health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in various diseases. We studied HRQoL in 26 primary glossodynia patients who self-completed the SF-36v2. The mean scores on the SF-36v2 subscales in our female patients were significantly lower than the national norms. Furthermore, those in the elderly female patients were significantly lower than those in the middle-aged ones. Conditions of primary glossodynia in the elderly patients were complicated by physical and mental factors; psychosocial supports should be required for their care in addition to pain control. Our study of HRQoL in primary glossodynia patients using the SF-36v2 was shown to be meaningful for understanding primary glossodynia and establishing goals for its care.